Foundation garment



May 10,1932. R. M. GRAVES FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed April 20, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 20, 1931INVENTOR a ATTORNEY Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICEROSE M. GRAVES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,'10 AS SOCIATED APPAREL INDUSTRIES, ING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF 7 ILLINOIS Application filed April 20,

This invention relates to foundation garments and has for its object to.provide a simple form-fitting garment adapted to give important featureresides in providing a garment of this type-with an inside panel adaptedto cover the body in the region of the diaphagm and abdomen. This panelis suitably stiffened and is provided at its upper sides with elastic orother bands which project out through openings in the front of thegarment and are adapted to be fastenedunder varying degrees of tensionto draw in the diaphragm in accordance with the correct waistmeasurement of the wearer.

The preferred garment which I' have selected to illustrate my inventionis a combined corset and brassiere having an opening at one side fromtop to bottom and provided with suitable fastening me ans. Longitudinalelastic sections at the sides of'the garment mold the figure whileallowing proper freedom of movement to the wearer. side panel whichcovers the diaphragm and abdomen is concealed beneath a central sectionwhich is secured to the front of the garment, and the upper edge of saidpanel is detached from the brassiere so that it may be drawn in ortightened over the diaphragm when tension is applied to its upper edges.

The adjustment of this stiffened panel is preferably controlled by twopairs of elastic straps which are attached to the upper edges of thepanel and project out through the openings in the front section of thegarment. The elastic straps of each pair are spaced apart at theirpoints of attachment to the positions.

The in FOUNDATION GARMENT 1931. Serial No. 531,373.

panel and converge into tabs rovided with astening means such as hoo swhich cooperate with eyelets formed in tapes secured to the back of thegarment. The adjustment of the straps controls the tension on the paneland distributes the flesh of the diaphragm so as to give a smooth,non-bulging line to the figure, the flexibility of the elastic strapspreventing binding or discomfort to the wearer.

The invention will be described in connec tion with "the embodimentshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2xare front and rear views, respectively, showing thepreferred foundation garment in the open position; and

Fig. 3 is a side view of a torso showing the garment applied theretowith the elastic straps adjusted in one of several possible In thedrawings, the garment comprises a front section 1 having a brassireportion 2 secured to its upper edge, a back section 3, and lon 'tudinalside elastic sections 4 and 5 exten ing from the bottom of the garmentto about the waist line where they are secured to upper side sections 6and 7, respectively, constituting the sides of the brassiere. Thegarment is adapted ,to encircle "the body of the wearer and is fastenedby means of a series of hooks 8 on one edge adapted to engage incorresponding eyes 9 on the other edge as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.Adjustable shoulder straps 10 and 11 arefastened by buttons'12 to theupper edge of the brassiere portion 2, and by similar buttons 13 to theupper edge of the back section 3, to hold the garment 1n position on thewearer.

An outer central section or panel 14 is secured to the front section 1of the garment by rows of stitches 15 which extend around the bottom ofsection 14 and up the sides to about the waistline, and is also stitchedat 16 to the lower edge of'the brassiere. The upper edges of section 14lying between the rows of stitches 15 and 16, however, are unattached soas to provide openings 17 leading to the reverse side of the garment fora purpose hereinafter described.

The backsection' 3 has two double stays 18 of bone or metal which extendthe full length of the garment to give it proper rigidity. At

the reverse side of the front section 1 is the inside panel 19 adaptedto cover the body in the region of the diapragm and abdomen, and havingits sides attached to the'corset and its upper edge 20 coincident withbut detached from the lower edge 16 of the brassiere 2 The panel 19 hasthree center stays 21 and double side stays 22 and 23, all extendingfrom the bottom of the panel 19 to its upper edge 20 which isapproximately at the waist line. When the garment is worn the panel 19is entirely concealed from viewby the central front section 14 as willbe seen from Figs. 1 and 3. The absence of stays in the seams 24 and 25of the garment gives proper freedom to the movement of the chest andarms of the wearer, while the stayed portions 21, 22 and 23 of the panel19 furnish the strength and rigidity necessary to give the desiredabdominal support.

Pairs of elastic straps 26 and 27 are sewed to the upper side edges ofthe diaphragm control panel 19 in the seams 28 which connect the panel19 to the main front section 1 of the garment directly beneath thecentral section 14. The straps 26 and 27 of each pair pass through theopenings 17 of the central section 14 and converge into tabs 29 each ofwhich is provided with a hook 30. The elastic straps 26, 27 extendpartly around the outer sides of the garment at the waist line, andtapes 31 provided with a plurality of embroidered eyelets 32 are sewedinto the vertical seams of the back section 3 and extend forwardlytoward the straps 26, 27 for the purpose of adjustably receiving thehooks 30.

In adjusting the garment upon the wearer it is first placed across theback and then circled around the body so that the free edges meet at theleft side as shown in Fig. 3, whereuponthe series of hooks 8 are claspedin the corresponding eyes 9, and the shoulder straps are also adjustedto secure the garment in position. The diaphragm control is thenadjusted by inserting the hooks at the ends of the paired elastic straps26 and 27 into one or another of the eyelets 32 in the respective tapes31, drawing in, the diaphragm in accordance with the correct waistmeasurement! The choice of eyelets 32, whether first, second or third,depends upon the amount of flesh in the diaphragm and the particularadjustment or degree of tension desired. The flexibility of the elasticstraps 26 and 27 gives comfort to the wearer while distributing theflesh of the diaphragm in such a manner as to give a smooth, unbrokenline to the figure.

The garment has single garter straps 33 and 34 attached to the loweredges of the front and rear sections 1 and 3, respectively,

and doubled garter straps 35 each with one end attached to the loweredge of the main front section 1 and the other end attached to the loweredge of the central front section 14. An elastic gore 36 is inserted inthe lower central portion of the front section 1, and a similar gore 37is inserted in the upper cen tral portion of the back section 3.

The garment may be made of any suitable material, but to give a pleasingappearance the entire garment, with the exception of the elastic inserts4 and 5, front brassiere portion 2, and inside panel 19, may be made ofbrocaded cloth. The front brassiere portion '2 may be made of ribbedmercerized clot-h, While the inside panel 19 may be made of sateen ifdesired.

It will be evident that various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction herein shown and described without departing from the scopeand spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A foundation garment adapted to encircle the body of the wearer andhaving a stifl'ened panel arranged to cover the diav phragm and abdomen,a central section secured to the front of the garment concealingsaidpanel and having openings in the sides at about the Waist line,elastic straps secured to the sides .of said panel and extending throughthe openings in said central section and partly around the outer sidesof the garment at the waist line, tapes secured to the back portion ofthe garment and arranged to extend forwardly toward said elastic straps,and means for adjustably securing said elastic straps to said tapes tohold said panel under tension. 1

2. A form-fitting foundation garment comprising a corset and a brassiereadapted to encircle the body and having an opening at one side,fastening means for securing adjacent edges of said opening together,-longitudinal side elastic sections extending from the bottom of thegarment to about the waist line, a stiffened panelarranged to,

cover the diaphragm and abdomen, a central section secured to the frontof the garment concealing said panel and having openings in the sides atabout the waist line, elastic straps secured to the sides of said paneland extending. through the openings in said central section and partlyaround the outer sides of the garment at the waist line, tapes having aplurality of spaced eyelets secured to the back portion of the garmentand arranged to extend forwardly toward said elastic straps, and hookson said elastic straps adapted for selective engagement with the eyeletsin said tapes to hold said panel under tension.

3. A foundation garment comprising aof said opening together, astiflened panel in the corset arranged to cover the diaphragm andabdomen and having its sides attached to the corset and its upper edgecoincident with and detached from the lower edge of the brassiere, acentral section secured to the front of the corset and lower edge of thebrassiere in position to conceal said stiffened panel'and havingopenings at the sides leading to the reverse side of the garment atabout the waist line, straps secured to the sides of said stifienedpanel and extending through the openings in said central section and atleast partly around the outer sides of the garment, and means forholding said straps under tension.

4. A foundation garment comprising a corset and a brassiere adapted toencircle the body and having an opening atone side, fastening means forsecuring adjacent edges of said openingtogether, a stiffened panel inthe corset arranged to cover the diaphragm and abdomen and having itsupper edge coincident with and detached from the lower edge of thebrassiere, a central section secured to the front of the corset andlower edge of the brassiere in position to conceal said stiffened paneland having openings at the sides leading to the reverse side of thegarment at about the waist line, pairs of elastic straps secured to thesides of said stiffened panel and extending through the openings in saidcentral section and partly around the outer sides of the garment, thestraps of each pair converging into a common point, tapes secured to theback portion of the garment and arranged to extend forwardly toward saidelastic straps, and means for adjustably securing said elastic straps tosaid tapes to hold said stiffened panel under tension.

5. A foundation garment comprising a corset and a brassiere adapted toencircle the body and having an opening at one side, fastening means forsecuring adjacent edges of said opening together, a stiflened panel inthe corset arranged to cover the diaphragm and abdomen and having itssides attached to the corset and its upper edge coincident with anddetached from the lower edge of the brassiere, and means controlled.from the outside of the garment for exerting tension on the sides ofsaid stiflened panel.

Signed at Chicago in the county of Cook and State of Illinois this 15thday of April A. D. 1931. a

' ROSE M. GRAVES.

